Operation Zeppelin (Assassination Plot)
Encyclopedia
Operation Zeppelin was the name of an elaborate German plan to assassinate Joseph Stalin
in Moscow
. It was conceived in July 1944 when Ernst Kaltenbrunner
, who succeeded Reinhard Heydrich
as head of the RSHA
, asked the Luftwaffe's
KG 200
unit if they could land a man within 60 miles from Moscow, far in advance of the German front lines at that time.
The plan involved a secret flight of a German transport plane to a landing in the countryside near the Soviet capital. An assassin
— a former Russia
n prisoner of war
who demonstrated his loyalty — would be provided with a motorcycle and the weapons needed to kill Stalin as he drove through the city. The assassination team members had been thoroughly trained, well-armed and provisions for escape were provided for, as well as a hideout secured for them in Moscow.
Before the mission was to begin a woman — also a former Russian officer — was added to the team. The two were married on the eve of the mission.
Operation Zeppelin began with a German reconnaissance party parachuting into the proposed landing area to check its suitability, and then sending a "go" signal that all was well. On the night of September 4-5, 1944, an Arado
Ar 232B
transport plane took off from an airfield in Latvia
and headed to the designated site, which was about 60 miles from Moscow, between Smolensk
and the capital. While most of the flight went without incident, the plane was fired upon by Soviet antiaircraft fire.
It turned out that the advance team was captured and was forced to send the radio signal back to Germany; furthermore the radio checks had failed to detect that the team had been compromised. The antiaircraft guns had fired upon the plane without authorization from the Soviet forces who planned to set a trap for the plane, despite the fact that they were unaware of the plane's intent.
The pilot was able to regain control of the plane and proceeded to an alternate landing site, near Karmanovo, east of Smolensk. The plane was able to land but a wing hit a tree, tearing off an engine and starting a fire that would draw Soviet troops to the location.
Quickly, Major
"Tavrin" and Sub-Lt.
"Shilova" got onto the motorcycle carried in the plane and sped off toward Moscow, where they had a place to stay. They carried 428,000 rubles, 116 real and forged rubber stamps and a number of blank documents that would in theory enable them to enter the Kremlin
and get close enough to Stalin to assassinate him. Meanwhile the plane's crew set off on foot toward the German lines. The crew carried maps as well as provisions but they could not speak Russian. And, of course, they wore German uniforms.
The assassins rode through the night. When they were stopped by a sentry and challenged, they were able to produce the proper documents. However, when the sentry was about to return the documents, the major made an impetuous remark of driving all night. The sentry then noticed that the cyclists and the motorcycle were dry even though it rained a short while before. He raised the alarm, and the would-be assassins were arrested.
As for the flight crew of the transport plane, they were able to send a radio signal that they were attempting to escape on foot twenty-four hours after the crash. Some of the crew did manage to return back to their own lines, but the rest were captured and did not return until the end of the war.
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. It was conceived in July 1944 when Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Ernst Kaltenbrunner was an Austrian-born senior official of Nazi Germany during World War II. Between January 1943 and May 1945, he held the offices of Chief of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt , President of Interpol and, as a Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei und Waffen-SS, he was the...
, who succeeded Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich , also known as The Hangman, was a high-ranking German Nazi official.He was SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei, chief of the Reich Main Security Office and Stellvertretender Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia...
as head of the RSHA
RSHA
The RSHA, or Reichssicherheitshauptamt was an organization subordinate to Heinrich Himmler in his dual capacities as Chef der Deutschen Polizei and Reichsführer-SS...
, asked the Luftwaffe's
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
KG 200
KG 200
Kampfgeschwader 200 was a Luftwaffe unit during World War II. The unit was the Luftwaffe's special operations wing that carried out long-distance reconnaissance flights, tested new aircraft designs, and operated captured aircraft....
unit if they could land a man within 60 miles from Moscow, far in advance of the German front lines at that time.
The plan involved a secret flight of a German transport plane to a landing in the countryside near the Soviet capital. An assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
— a former Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
who demonstrated his loyalty — would be provided with a motorcycle and the weapons needed to kill Stalin as he drove through the city. The assassination team members had been thoroughly trained, well-armed and provisions for escape were provided for, as well as a hideout secured for them in Moscow.
Before the mission was to begin a woman — also a former Russian officer — was added to the team. The two were married on the eve of the mission.
Operation Zeppelin began with a German reconnaissance party parachuting into the proposed landing area to check its suitability, and then sending a "go" signal that all was well. On the night of September 4-5, 1944, an Arado
Arado Flugzeugwerke
Arado Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer, originally established as the Warnemünde factory of the Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen firm, that produced military hydroplanes during the First World War.-History:...
Ar 232B
Arado Ar 232
The Arado Ar 232 Tausendfüssler was the first truly modern cargo aircraft, designed and built in small numbers by the German firm Arado Flugzeugwerke during World War II...
transport plane took off from an airfield in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
and headed to the designated site, which was about 60 miles from Moscow, between Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
and the capital. While most of the flight went without incident, the plane was fired upon by Soviet antiaircraft fire.
It turned out that the advance team was captured and was forced to send the radio signal back to Germany; furthermore the radio checks had failed to detect that the team had been compromised. The antiaircraft guns had fired upon the plane without authorization from the Soviet forces who planned to set a trap for the plane, despite the fact that they were unaware of the plane's intent.
The pilot was able to regain control of the plane and proceeded to an alternate landing site, near Karmanovo, east of Smolensk. The plane was able to land but a wing hit a tree, tearing off an engine and starting a fire that would draw Soviet troops to the location.
Quickly, Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
"Tavrin" and Sub-Lt.
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
"Shilova" got onto the motorcycle carried in the plane and sped off toward Moscow, where they had a place to stay. They carried 428,000 rubles, 116 real and forged rubber stamps and a number of blank documents that would in theory enable them to enter the Kremlin
Kremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
and get close enough to Stalin to assassinate him. Meanwhile the plane's crew set off on foot toward the German lines. The crew carried maps as well as provisions but they could not speak Russian. And, of course, they wore German uniforms.
The assassins rode through the night. When they were stopped by a sentry and challenged, they were able to produce the proper documents. However, when the sentry was about to return the documents, the major made an impetuous remark of driving all night. The sentry then noticed that the cyclists and the motorcycle were dry even though it rained a short while before. He raised the alarm, and the would-be assassins were arrested.
As for the flight crew of the transport plane, they were able to send a radio signal that they were attempting to escape on foot twenty-four hours after the crash. Some of the crew did manage to return back to their own lines, but the rest were captured and did not return until the end of the war.